Dental prosthesis manufacturing process, dental prosthesis pattern and dental prosthesis made thereby

Abstract

A dental prosthesis is made by first forming a model of a patient's dentition. A three dimensional digital data corresponding to the surfaces of the model is then created. Based on this data, a three dimensional digital data file is then created substantially corresponding to the dental prosthesis to be manufactured. The three dimensional digital data of the dental prosthesis to be manufactured is next transmitted to automated prototyping equipment, and using the automated prototyping equipment, a wax pattern of the dental prosthesis is manufactured based upon this three dimensional digital data of the dental prosthesis. Finally, using this wax pattern in the lost wax investment casting process, the dental prosthesis is made. Prior to investment casting, marginal edges of the wax pattern are adjusted manually.

1. A method of manufacturing a dental crown from a wax material, comprising:
 a) displaying on a monitor screen of computer aided design equipment an image of a proposed dental crown based, at least in part, on collected three dimensional digital data corresponding to surfaces of one or more teeth of a patient, 
 b) with the aid of said computer aided design equipment, modifying said image so that said image displayed on the monitor screen substantially corresponds to the dental crown to be manufactured, 
 c) collecting the three dimensional digital data substantially corresponding to said image of the dental crown to be manufactured and transmitting said three dimensional digital data of said image of the dental crown to be manufactured to automated prototyping equipment, 
 d) using the automated prototyping equipment to make a wax material pattern of the dental crown to be manufactured based upon said three dimensional digital data substantially corresponding to said image of the dental crown to be manufactured; 
 e) obtaining an adjusted pattern formed by manually adding additional wax to said wax material pattern of said dental crown to compensate for a configuration of the surfaces corresponding to the dental structure on which the dental crown is to be placed; and 
 f) fabricating the dental crown based on the adjusted pattern. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  where the wax material pattern has marginal edges that are at least ¾ of a millimeter from margins of an individual tooth structure to which the dental crown is to be attached. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  where the wax material pattern has marginal edges that are at least ¾ of a millimeter from margins of an individual tooth structure to which the dental crown is to be attached. 
     
     
       4. A method of manufacturing a pattern of a dental crown from a wax material, comprising:
 a) obtaining scan data corresponding to a dentition of a patient including surfaces corresponding to a dental structure on which the dental crown is to be placed; 
 b) creating three dimensional digital data substantially corresponding to the dental crown to be manufactured based on the scan data; 
 c) transmitting said three dimensional digital data of said dental crown to be manufactured to automated prototyping equipment; and 
 d) using the automated prototyping equipment, fabricating the pattern of said dental crown from the wax material based upon said three dimensional digital data of said dental crown. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  where the pattern has marginal edges that are at least ¾ of a millimeter from margins of an individual tooth structure to which the dental crown is to be attached. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  where, after step d), the marginal edges of the pattern are manually adjusted to compensate for the specific configuration of said individual tooth structure by adding wax material to said edges. 
     
     
       7. A pattern of an articulated jaw made from a wax material in accordance with a method of manufacturing, comprising:
 a) scanning a model of a dentition of a patient to generate scan data of the dentition; 
 b) creating three dimensional digital data from said scan data corresponding to the dentition and creating three dimensional digital data substantially corresponding to the articulated jaw based on the three dimensional digital data corresponding to the dentition, 
 c) transmitting said three dimensional digital data of said articulated jaw to automated prototyping equipment; and 
 d) using the automated prototyping equipment making from a wax material the pattern of said articulated jaw based upon said three dimensional digital data of said articulated jaw. 
 
     
     
       8. A dental crown made in accordance with a method of manufacturing, comprising:
 a) scanning a model of a patient's bite registration including surfaces corresponding to the dental structure on which the dental crown is to be placed and nearby the location that the dental crown is to be placed to generate scan data; 
 b) creating three dimensional digital data from said scan data corresponding to the said surfaces, and based on said data corresponding to the said surfaces, creating three dimensional digital data substantially corresponding to the dental crown to be manufactured; 
 c) transmitting said three dimensional digital data of said dental crown to be manufactured to automated prototyping equipment; 
 d) using the automated prototyping equipment making from a wax material the pattern of said dental crown to be manufactured based upon said three dimensional digital data of said dental crown; 
 e) obtaining an adjusted pattern formed by manually adding additional wax to said pattern of said dental crown to compensate for a configuration of the surfaces corresponding to the dental structure on which the dental crown is to be placed; and 
 e) using said adjusted pattern in the lost wax investment casting process manufacturing said dental crown. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising electronically scanning a model of the patient's dentition to determine said collected three dimensional digital data. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein fabricating said dental crown to be manufactured comprises casting said dental crown in a lost wax investment casting process. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of using the pattern of said dental crown to be manufactured in a lost wax investment casting process.